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Seems you can’t avoid the smell of freshly cut grass each spring. And it’s like that’s the alert to begin your summer long battle against nature using your mower, your spreader, plus a raft of lawn care chemicals as your weapons of choice.

But you don’t have to continue your annual chemically focused lawn care routine. And you really can help your lawn kick the performance-enhancing drugs. Going with more eco friendly, sustainable methods that will still give you a verdant, emerald green lawn.

One key to going organic is the grass you plant. Then too you have to mow more frequently so you can water less plus take a different approach to feeding. Not to mention approach weeds and insects differently as well. To help you understand what’s involved let’s briefly take each of these one at a time.

Going Native When Deciding Which Grass to Plant

Planting indigenous varieties means you can get away with watering, feeding and treating for pests less often – if at all. Since any species of grass suited to thrive in your local conditions is more apt to make it on it’s own naturally. That means you want to stick with grasses adapted to cool seasons across the northern tier, warm season grasses across the southern tier and more transitional strains if you live in-between.

Feeding Organically and Sustainably

After picking an appropriate grass strain you want to attend to your plant’s macro and micro nutritional needs. Spreading compost is a no brainer. Compost teas are another approach. While things like blood meal, liquid fish fertilizer, and various seaweed fertilizers can help fill in the gaps.

To pull that off, you want to get an idea of the soil’s pH. That will tell you want it needs to best support the grass. Because if your soil is anything other than a pH of 6.5 (just slightly acidic) to 7 the grass will have trouble absorbing nutrients. To fix that you’d use either sulfur or limestone depending on whether it’s too alkaline or acidic.

Turf Truth: A green lawn in an integral part of home ownership. Americans have roughly 40 million acres with sod under cultivation. That comes down to an area equal to about the state of Washington covered in grass.

Be Smart When Watering

The one thing you can count on with the weather is it’s unpredictable. Too much rain leaches vital nutrients while too little rain leaves your grass parched, limp and wilted. If you have to water do so early in the day to cut down on water lost to evaporation. And minimize the growth of plant diseases that thrive in wet conditions. Now the truly ambitious will set up a rain barrel system to capture rain off the roof and save it for use on their lawn.

Mowing More Often

You can water less if you mow more – often. The idea is to remove no more than a third of the blade each time you mow and leave it behind. So you can’t let the grass grow too long. Leaving clippings to break down can provide up to 50% of the nitrogen you lawn needs to stay vibrant and green. The most earth friendly may opt for a hand powered mowing machine – if you’re up to it and your yard it sized right for it. But going electric is a good alternative too.

Taking an Organic Approach to Weeds

A lush lawn naturally crowds out the weeds. While corn gluten can be used to keep weeds from sprouting. Up to 90% control takes a couple two three years to achieve but it’s an earth friendlier way to keep weeds at bay.

There you go. If you find yourself devoting more time-and money-to your lawn maybe it’s time to rethink your approach. Going organic, as you’ve just read, is not only eco-wise but may give you a more sustainable lawn in the long run.

Author Dewey J Capasso admits to being a lawn fanatic. Which is why he’s able to share helpful reviews of electric lawn mowers, offer advice for greening up your lawn, plus suggest which of the many riding lawn mowers may be best for you.

When a lawn appears unhealthy although it has been sufficiently watered and properly fertilized and problems such as worms, insects, and diseases have been eliminated as possible causes, individuals may want to consider aerating their lawn. Aerating becomes necessary when the soil becomes compacted. When the top four inches or so of topsoil becomes packed down and hardened, the soil cannot adequately absorb water and nutrients.

If grass is beginning to wilt and die, the lawn might be literally starving. Aeration will allow vital nutrients and water to sink deep into the roots and increases levels of oxygen throughout the soil. Increasing oxygen levels can encourage root growth and allows the lawn to weather periods of little water. Lawns that are aerated are generally healthier and more lush than lawns that don’t receive proper aeration.

Timing is important in deciding when to aerate, and the frequency of aeration depends on several factors, including the type of soil and the variety of grass. Soil with lots of clay should be aerated in the spring and fall, and soil with more sand should be aerated in either the spring or fall. Warm-season grasses should be aerated in late spring or early summer, while cool-seasons grasses, which can be found throughout Colorado, should be aerated in the early spring and the late fall.

It is recommended that aerating be undertaken on a day with mild temperatures when the soil is a bit moist. Watering the lawn the day before aerating is suggested. The ground should be moist but not saturated. Aerating in high heat and drought is not advised. Additionally, weed problems should be under control prior to aerating, and newly laid sod should not be aerated until its roots have been well established.

To properly maintain a lawns health, aerating is essential. However, it usually is not practical for individuals to purchase an aerator because of the cost and because it is an item that will be rarely used. The solution may be hiring a lawn care company to provide aerating services. Trained professionals can assist individuals in evaluating their lawns to determine the type of care their lawn needs. Hiring a lawn care service for aerating needs may be the first step to a healthy and aesthetically pleasing lawn.